Emily Dickinson was a great and powerful poet who dealt with many philosophical ideas throughout all of her poems. At first glance most of Emily's poems look very simple,but after some analyzing you find out that there is so much more than what you expected. The meaning of her poems are different to everyone which makes them so special and unique.
This poem contains an AB rhyme scheme. Some also, say that it is arranged like a hymn. The poem is in 6 stanzas with 4 lines in each.
I also noticed how she substituted the word immortality with eternity. These words occupy the same places. One opens the poem and the other closes it. I suspect she used this because at first the speaker wasn't thinking about her ride into death or the afterlife. She used eternity because she realized then she was going to be dead for eternity.
I believe Emily Dickinson dealt with the idea of death and how no one is expecting it or can expect it. In the first stanza Dickinson compares death to a date. They are on a carriage ride, with death as her escort, and the speaker is not expecting too much at the moment. She says that the Carriage held but just Ourselves- and Immortality. Which makes it sound like they were on some sort of date.
Then, during the second stanza she describes the ride as slow and leisurely, as if this was not a big deal. The speaker also stated that death was polite and courteous.
In the next stanza she implies that the ride was nice and actually enjoyable. Also, I believe she uses the symbols of the school and gazing grain as a transition. The sun represents the transition into another setting and implies that darkness is on it's way.
After this stanza the weather changes to cold and clammy. She states she was not ready for this weather and very underdressed, wearing only a thin dress and tulle shawl.
Next is when the significant change takes place. The speaker talks how the roof was barely visible and she saw a cornice, or the top of a structure, in the ground. Emily was using those images to symbolize a headstone or graveyard and also, symbolizing death.
The last stanza is when she tells us that those were past events and they had happened centuries ago. She also, recalls thats those events seem shorter than the day that everything actually happened.
I chose this poem because I thought it sounded unique and very different than any other poem I had read. I also, liked the visuals that she placed throughout the poem.
Sydney Camfield
"Because I Could Not Stop for Death"
Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.
We slowly drove –He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility –
We passed the School,where Children strove
At Recess – in the Ring –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –
We passed the Setting Sun –
Or rather – He passed us –
The Dews drew quivering and chill –
For only Gossamer, my Gown –
My Tippet – only Tulle –
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –
The Cornice – in the Ground –
Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity –
Analysis
Emily Dickinson was a great and powerful poet who dealt with many philosophical ideas throughout all of her poems. At first glance most of Emily's poems look very simple,but after some analyzing you find out that there is so much more than what you expected. The meaning of her poems are different to everyone which makes them so special and unique.
This poem contains an AB rhyme scheme. Some also, say that it is arranged like a hymn. The poem is in 6 stanzas with 4 lines in each.
I also noticed how she substituted the word immortality with eternity. These words occupy the same places. One opens the poem and the other closes it. I suspect she used this because at first the speaker wasn't thinking about her ride into death or the afterlife. She used eternity because she realized then she was going to be dead for eternity.
I believe Emily Dickinson dealt with the idea of death and how no one is expecting it or can expect it. In the first stanza Dickinson compares death to a date. They are on a carriage ride, with death as her escort, and the speaker is not expecting too much at the moment. She says that the Carriage held but just Ourselves- and Immortality. Which makes it sound like they were on some sort of date.
Then, during the second stanza she describes the ride as slow and leisurely, as if this was not a big deal. The speaker also stated that death was polite and courteous.
In the next stanza she implies that the ride was nice and actually enjoyable. Also, I believe she uses the symbols of the school and gazing grain as a transition. The sun represents the transition into another setting and implies that darkness is on it's way.
After this stanza the weather changes to cold and clammy. She states she was not ready for this weather and very underdressed, wearing only a thin dress and tulle shawl.
Next is when the significant change takes place. The speaker talks how the roof was barely visible and she saw a cornice, or the top of a structure, in the ground. Emily was using those images to symbolize a headstone or graveyard and also, symbolizing death.
The last stanza is when she tells us that those were past events and they had happened centuries ago. She also, recalls thats those events seem shorter than the day that everything actually happened.
I chose this poem because I thought it sounded unique and very different than any other poem I had read. I also, liked the visuals that she placed throughout the poem.